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Salvage Rumble 200 combo with a dead power amp

E

ElectricGroove

Dec 13, 2022
10
7
#1
Hi, I'm looking for some advice on salvaging my Fender Rumble 200 combo amp. Long story short, the power amp is dead so no sound goes to the speaker and this amp isn't serviceable. Looking for advice on what I can do with it.

Background
Amp powers on and sounds good, but no sound comes out of the speaker. Sound does go to headphone jack. Bought this amp back when they first came out so it's out of warranty. Took it to a technician that diagnosed it as "dead power amp, reach out to Fender". Contacted Fender and they told me "the Rumble line isn't field serviceable and no replacement parts are available". As of now the best idea I have is to throwout the amp "head" and and salvage the cabinet by adding an input for the speaker. Then I can just get a small amp head to power the speaker. Do I have any other options?


Side note
It is what it is but I am a little sore about this. I bought this amp when I was starting out and decided to spend the extra cash on the Rumble 200 so I didn't need to spend more money for an upgrade later. The nail in the coffin was finding out this amp ins't serviceable and being to told by the Fender agent "your only solution is to buy a new amp". Really didn't expect these to be so disposable.
 
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#2
The amp is certainly serviceable by a Fender authorized service center. They do not provide parts or support directly to the end user, but this is common.

Parts for the larger Rumble amps less than ~ 5years old are available to Fender authorized service centers.
 
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#4
Thanks so much, these are exactly the answers I was looking for.

@agedhorse Thanks for that bit of knowledge, not sure why the customer support agent wouldn't just send me to an authorized service center. He essentially just told me to buy a new amp. Looks like I'm going to find one locally and check with them.

@Jazzdogg it does have jacks for an effects loop. What's an outboard power amp? looks like I need to do a bit of research.
 
#6
ElectricGroove said:
Hi, I'm looking for some advice on salvaging my Fender Rumble 200 combo amp. Long story short, the power amp is dead so no sound goes to the speaker and this amp isn't serviceable. Looking for advice on what I can do with it.

Background
Amp powers on and sounds good, but no sound comes out of the speaker. Sound does go to headphone jack. Bought this amp back when they first came out so it's out of warranty. Took it to a technician that diagnosed it as "dead power amp, reach out to Fender". Contacted Fender and they told me "the Rumble line isn't field serviceable and no replacement parts are available". As of now the best idea I have is to throwout the amp "head" and and salvage the cabinet by adding an input for the speaker. Then I can just get a small amp head to power the speaker. Do I have any other options?


Side note
It is what it is but I am a little sore about this. I bought this amp when I was starting out and decided to spend the extra cash on the Rumble 200 so I didn't need to spend more money for an upgrade later. The nail in the coffin was finding out this amp ins't serviceable and being to told by the Fender agent "your only solution is to buy a new amp". Really didn't expect these to be so disposable.
Click to expand...

OK... you took it to a non-Fender authorized tech for diagnosis and possible repair, but he told YOU to contact Fender about getting parts? What the heck is that about? That should have been his job to acquire parts. Then you contacted Fender and they said they couldn't (wouldn't) sell the parts to you.

None of this is your fault. You were given bad advice by a tech who didn't want to (or couldn't) finish what he started.

Time to regroup and try again.

@agedhorse knows what he's talking about here.
Find the nearest Fender Authorized service center and see what they have to say.

I believe the power amp in the 200 is not proprietary. @agedhorse probably can confirm that as well.
If the power amp is the real problem, it should be fixable. I think you just need to get a second opinion.

Good Luck
 
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#7
This is why I always suggest going the authorized service center route, that way you aren't out the diagnostic charges that shops charge, but if they can't get the parts they shouldn't have accepted the work.
 
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#9
Old Garage-Bander said:
Orrrrrr... maybe there's just some corrosion on one of the FX jacks (switching section).
@ElectricGroove try putting an instrument cable between the send and return jacks.
Click to expand...
I would have hoped that the non-authorized tech would have at least troubleshot it this far, but then again he may never have looked at the amp and just charged the estimate fee knowing he wasn't going to have to repair the amp in any regard. This is actually a fairly common scam.
 
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#12
I think your rumble uses a very much off the shelf Class D power amp, like the same one that GK uses -- it's called a ICEPOWER 50ASX2 Amplifier Module, and they are on ebay for about $155.. These things are plug and play - all you need is a Phillip's screwdriver and a a toothpick or something like it to release the connectors.

ICEPOWER 50ASX2 Amplifier Module for sale | eBay


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#13
Note that many of the ICEPower modules on eBay, Amazon, Alibaba, etc. are counterfeit knock-offs from China that LOOK identical but are not, and have a high failure rate. The agency safety rating is also counterfeit, it only applies to the original parts manufactured in an inspected facility.

This is not the place to buy a knockoff when the original product from the manufacturer is available (and for about the same price too).
 
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#15
the photo is the actual one Fender uses and sells, to give you an idea of what to look for. When I went shopping for my 125 replacement, I first went to the audio hobbiest sites to find which ones were kosher. I am sure some audiophile is using these in home stereo, so you could find out which ones to buy. Ebay has some already in a case for home stereo use, so that should give yo a starting point.
 
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#16
azureblue said:
the photo is the actual one Fender uses and sells, to give you an idea of what to look for. When I went shopping for my 125 replacement, I first went to the audio hobbiest sites to find which ones were kosher. I am sure some audiophile is using these in home stereo, so you could find out which ones to buy. Ebay has some already in a case for home stereo use, so that should give yo a starting point.
Click to expand...
You can't tell by looking at it if they are counterfeit. I know what to look for and frankly the attention to cosmetic detail is unbelievably good, but the failure rates don't lie. If you don't know what to look for, you won't be able to detect a counterfeit visually, even the serial numbering and date codes look good, but do not match factory records (and multiple units with the same S/N is a giveaway, but you have to buy more than one to know this).

Hobbiest sites, especially the ones shipping from China/Hong Kong, are one of the biggest sources of counterfeits!

Buying the original factory sourced part is the way to go, there's almost no difference in cost, and unless you like to support counterfeiters, there is no reason not to buy the genuine part.
 
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#17
TronChaser said:
Every time I hear that the headphone Jack works but speaker does not I have a suspicion that it’s the headphone Jack that is stuck as if the headphone is still connected. This is definitely serviceable. I have made this repair many of times to amps and I’m not an amp tech. Just an electronics technician with the stuff to troubleshoot
Click to expand...
There is a different headphone switching system used with these amps, that's why it's essential that the tech be familiar with how they work and know what signals to look for regarding the switching.

I's quite possible that the module is not bad, and that the fault is elsewhere (either in the switching jack, or the logic that's involved in power amp control).
 
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#19
Agedhorse is right.. But repair may be more than the beast is worth is my guess.. That is if poweramp is the problem.. But no way of knowing without finding a repair shop.. Indeed

My guess is it's worth $275.00 to $325.00 used.. If the part is $150.00 the tech fee would be $100.00-$125.00..
 
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#20
Christophe C said:
What I would do :
- remove the head
- solder a jack for the speaker
- buy a Warwick Gnome i Pro
- make brackets to attach the amp where the original amp was
maybe a bit more expensive but you will have a new amp
Click to expand...



+1!

Or.....

Watch the T.B. Classifieds for a used G.K. MB500 head and wire it in as Cristophe C suggested.

That'd give you 350 "clean" watts to the 8 ohm 15" driver, add a extension 8 ohm cab for a full 500 watts at 4 ohms.

Used MB500's can be had for between $250.00 to $350.00.

I bought a used, mint condition, GK MB2-500 with a carry bag to be used as a backup head.....$250.00.
Liked it enough that when a second, mint condition GK MB-500 also with a carry bag popped up locally I bought it also for $300.00.
 
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